Posted By John Ingold On October 18, 2012 @ 11:33 am In Crime and Courts,National Politics | 5 Comments

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Colorado has appointed someone to oversee complaints of fraud and voting-rights abuses for the upcoming election.

Thomas O’Rourke, an assistant U.S. attorney, will be the “District Election Officer” for Colorado, according to a news release put out Thursday. The appointment is part of the Justice Department’s long-running, nationwide Election Day Program[1] and is not related to any concerns specific to Colorado.

O’Rourke, who has been the state’s District Election Officer for the last three elections, will take complaints about issues such as voter intimidation, buying votes, stuffing ballot boxes or tampering with results. He will also work to ensure that voters’ rights are protected. As part of the job, O’Rourke will work with officials in Washington, D.C.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” Colorado’s U.S. Attorney, John Walsh, said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”